Our policy supports the school statement of intent that every pupil should achieve their potential and develop an understanding of and respect for themselves and others.
The School will be admitting pupils with social, emotional, mental health, communication difficulties and associated challenging behaviours and a statement of special educational needs which notes the nature of these difficulties. Such difficulties are often the cause or the result of other special educational needs. They may arrive out of difficult life experiences or be the result of some medical condition. Some of the pupils have a long history of disturbed, difficult or delinquent behaviour of a serious kind that may include violence towards peers and/or adults. Therefore, the school acknowledges that our pupils may, from time to time, exhibit challenging behaviours that vary both in intensity and duration.
The range and nature of both the difficulties and needs our pupils’ exhibit, have and continue to become more complex as does the assessment of these. Thus, it is important that the school seeks to ensure that the admission process accurately identifies the needs of pupils and whether it is possible for the school to meet these both effectively and efficiently.
If you’d like to make a referral or you simply want to know more, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Contact UsObjectives
The objectives of the policy are that:
- All concerned will have a clear understanding of the criteria used in assessing the appropriateness of a placement for individual young persons at Bramfield House School
- All concerned will have a clear understanding of the processes of judging the appropriateness of that placement
- Parents/carers, each young person and representatives of Local Authority’s (LA’s), social service departments and other interested professionals have a clear understanding of the opportunities on offer at Bramfield House School
- Parents/Carers, each young person and representatives of LA’s, social services departments and other interested professionals understand all key aspects of school life at Bramfield House School and are prepared to play their part in ensuring the success of any placement.
Admissions Process
Stage 1
Bramfield House School is a Section 41 school.
Referrals made to Bramfield House School will normally be made by LA’s. A range of detailed information concerning that young person should accompany these referrals. Where this is not the case, the school will seek access to such information from schools, social workers and parents. The Headteacher and SENDCO will analyse all available information on the young person to assess whether the young person meets the admission criteria for the school (See below). Where this is the case, arrangements will be made with the LA and parents/carers for the Headteacher to visit the young person with the parent/ carer at home, online through a meeting or at a neutral location.
The visit and first introduction will consist of an informal chat, where their needs are discussed and matters arising from the paperwork are resolved.
The Headteacher will take care to assess if it is likely that the young person’s needs could be met in the setting and decide if a visit the school (Stage 2) is appropriate.
Stage 2
The parent and young person will be invited to the school. Parent/ carers will be informed that the visit to the school does not mean that a placement is agreed. In exceptional cases where a young person may be distressed by a visit, or may not understand that a placement is not guaranteed, all parties may agree that parents/ carers attend alone to protect the child. In the majority of cases the young person will need to attend the school to complete assessment.
The visit will include and assessment which is conducted during the visit as well as;
A tour of the school with a senior member of staff; an introduction to key staff including clinical staff; a discussion with senior staff concerning such issues as:
- The school curriculum;
- The content of key school policies, including the school expectations for good behaviour and discipline and the physical management of young persons including PBS planning.
- A demonstration of CPI, were this may prove to be necessary.
- An opportunity for each visitor to ask any questions they may have.
In cases where, because of financial constraints or mobility issues, parents cannot visit the school. The school will collect the parent to facilitate the visit.
The school does not conduct any academic tests during the admissions process.
Stage 3
The school will convene a meeting with the Clinical Well-being Lead, Headteacher and Executive SENDCO to determine if the young person is suitable and if there is an appropriate class which they can join.
Considerations include;
- The profiles and needs of the young people already placed in the group.
- The ability of the school to meet all aspects of the EHCP requirements.
- The suitability of the environment for the young person including the appropriateness of the peer group.
- How clinical needs would be addressed by the setting.
- What additional resources is young person likely to need beyond the universal offer at the school?
Stage 4
If, following these visits, all concerned are agreed that the young person’s needs can be met at the school and that the young person can be adequately managed with the planned resources available and that the young person and parents/carers are committed to the placement, the school will write to the LA offering a place and arrangements will be made for an admission.
In cases where admission is only partially suitable but where additional resourcing from the Local Authority could allow the school to admit the young person, this information will be provided in the response to the Local Authority.
Communication about an offer of a placement to parents/carers and social workers will come directly from the Local Authority. The school does not commonly communicate decisions directly to interested parties